Combination beach bucket and doll



Dec. 26, 1967 l H. HEPLER 3,359,677

COMBINATION BEACH BUCKET AND DOLL Filed April 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Lamar hole E a W BY 3 V ATTORNEY 25, 1967 1.. H. HEPLER COMBINATION BEACH BUCKET AND DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1965 INVgNTOR. Jamar fl/qap er aw/Am ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,359,677 COMBINATION BEACH BUCKET AND DOLL Lamar H. Hepler, Wyncote, Pa. (400 Krewson Terrace, Willow Grove, Pa. 19090) Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,742 2 Claims. (Cl. 4611) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is essentially concerned with a combination doll and bucket wherein a receptacle simulates a doll torso and carries depending leg-connectors on its underside. A pair of simulated doll legs .are detachably connected to the leg-connectors, while a removable cover on the receptacle simulates shoulders. A cover handle upstanding from the cover simulates a doll neck, and a shovel upstands detachably from the cover handle. A skirt extends about and depends from the receptacle concealing the leg-connectors and providing a base for use of the receptacle as a bucket, while a pair of arms are pivoted to opposite sides of the receptacle and are provided at their opposite ends with detachable connection means to provide a bail.

This invention relates generally to toys, and is especially concerned with a unique bucket-and-shovel toy.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a combination.doll-and-bucket toy which may be utilized, say on the beach, in the conventional manner of a bucket and shovel, and may also serve the further purpose of providing a doll, to effectively afford a plurality of toys for a child which are selectively visible, as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combination doll-and-bucket construction which is uniquely attractive in appearance, extremely simple in construction, and durable and reliable throughout a long useful life.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view showing a combination doll-and-bucket toy constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, and illustrating its condition of use as a doll, being partly broken away to illustrate interior structure;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the toy shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation-a1 view taken generally .along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view showing the shovel component of the combination doll and bucket, apart from the remainder thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the device arranged for use as a bucket, with the bail swung downward;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the device shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a top view of the bucket of FIGURES 5 and 6, with the bail swung upward;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of the device as shown in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 9-9 of FIGURE 7, enlarged for clarity.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and

3,359,677 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 specifically to FIGURES 1-3 thereof, a combination doll and bucket of the present invention is there generally designated 20 and includes a receptacle or bucket part 21 having a pair of depending legs 22, and a cover 23 provided with an upstanding neck 24 carrying a shovel 25.

More particularly, the receptacle or bucket part 21 may include a generally circular, substantially flat bottom wall 28 and a peripheral side wall 29 upstanding circumferentially about the bottom wall. The bottom wall 28 may include a peripheral lip 30 for securement to the side Wall 29, and the side wall may have a lower portion 31 depending below the bottom wall 28 to define .a lower end flange. In addition, a pair of leg-connectors 32 may be fixedly secured to and depend from the underside of receptacle bottom wall 28. The leg-connectors 32 may be spaced laterally from each other and define downwardly opening tubular sockets, for a purpose appearing presently. Extending circumferentially about the lower portion of receptacle 21 may be a skirt 33. The skirt 33 may have its upper edge secured, by any suitable means, to the bucket-part side wall 29, and may diverge downwardly. Thus, the skirt 33 may simulate the hips of a doll and serve further to effectively conceal the leg-connectors 32, as well as to provide a more stable support for the receptacle 21 when employed as a bucket.

The cover 23 may be of generally conical configuration including 21 depending peripheral flange 35 extending cir cumferentially about its lower end and removably engageable about the upper end of the receptacle side wall 29 when the cover is in its covering relation. If desired, both the receptacle 21 and cover 23 may be ornamented to simulate clothing, say by simulated buttons 36. The receptacle 21 thus simulates the torso of a doll, while the cover 23 and its outwardly sloping configuration may simulate the shoulders of a doll. The upstanding neckpiece 24 may provide a handle centrally of the cover 23 and may be of generally upwardly opening tubular configuration to define a socket for removably receiving a part of the shovel 25. That is, the shovel 25 may include a generally flat, arcuate blade part 37, and a tubular extension or handle 38 projecting from the blade part. In the assembled condition of FIGURE 1 the shovel handle or projection 38 is engaged in the cover handle 24, .and the shovel blade 37 upstands from the cover handle. Further, the shovel blade is preferably ornamented to simulate a doll face, see FIGURE 1.

The legs 22 may each comprise an elongate tube having its upper end snugly inserted into a respective downwardly facing leg-connector or socket 32. On the lower end of each leg 22 is a simulated shoe 40 having a generally horizontal, ground-engageable bottom wall 41 and an upstanding shoe-simulating edge wall 42. Secured on the upper side of each shoe bottom wall 41 and upstanding therefrom is a tubular socket 43 snugly removably receiving the lower end of a respective leg 22. The upstanding socket or tube 43 may simulate a sock or article of hosiery.

Fixedly secured to diametrically opposed upper regions of the receptacle side wall 29, on the outer side thereof, are a pair of arm carriers or generally triangular blocks 45. The arm-carrying blocks 45 are each fomed with an outer surface 46 sloping downwardly and outwardly. A flexible elongate member or arm 47 is arranged on each side of the receptacle 21 with its upper end pivotally secured in facing engagement with the outer surface 46 of the adjacent carrier block 45, as by a pivotal connector or pin 48. The elongate members or arms 47 may be somewhat flexible and each formed at its outer or distal end with a simulated hand, as at 49. The outer end or hand portions 49 of the arms 47 are respectively provided with detachable connection means, such as an eye or loop 50 on the outer side of one end 49, and a hook 50 on the inner side of the other hand. This is best seen in FIGURE 9. The arms 47 are sufficiently flexible to enable the hook-and-eye 50, 51 to be brought into releasable interfitting engagement.

When it is desired to convert the doll assembly of FIG- URES 1-3 to a bucket, the legs 22 may be disengaged from the leg-connectors 32, to remove the legs and shoes 40 from the receptacle. The shovel 25 may be separated from the cover 23, by Withdrawal of the shovel handle 38 from the cover handle 24; and, the cover 23 may be lifted off of the upper end of the receptacle. Further, the hands 49 may be drawn together to interengage the arm-connection means 50, 51, and the connected arms swung about their pivotal mounts 48 in the manner of a bail. This condition is best seen in FIGURES 58.

Of course, it is appreciated that the instant toy device may be employed in any desired degree of assembly or disassembly, limited only by the imagination of the playing child. Also, the head-simulating shovel 21 may function in the manner of a conventional shovel for scooping s and into and removing sand from the receptacle 21, as desired. In addition, the handle 38 of shovel 25 may be extended by telescopic engagement with one of the legs 22; or, the shovel handle may be further extended by employing both legs 22 engaged in end-to-end relation.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a combination doll-and-bucket toy which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is Well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, distribution and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by Way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination doll and bucket comprising a recep tacle adapted to simulate a doll torso, a pair of leg-connectors depending from the underside of said receptacle, a pairof simulated doll legs detachably connected to said leg connectors and depending from said receptacle for sustaining the latter in elevated relation over a supporting surface, a removable cover on said receptacle simulating the shoulders of a doll, a cover handle simulating a doll neck and upstanding centrally from said cover, a shovel detachably mounted on said cover handle, said shovel being decorated to represent a doll head, a pair of arms each having one end pivotally connected to one side of said receptacle, and detachable arm-connection means on the outer ends of said arms for connecting the latter together to provide a bail.

2. A combination doll and bucket according to claim 1, in combination with :a skirt extending circumferentially about and depending from said receptacle in spaced concealing relation about and at least to the lower ends of said leg-connectors, to provide a stable base for said receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,144,751 1/1939 Brown 46-151 X 2,451,711 10/ 1948 Beder 4611 3,018,583 1/ 1962 Novotney 4622 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION DOLL AND BUCKET COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE ADAPTED TO SIMULATE A DOLL TORSO, A PAIR OF LEG-CONNECTORS DEPENDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID RECEPTACLE, A PAIR OF SIMULATED DOLL LEGS DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO SAID LEG CONNECTORS AND DEPENDING FROM SAID RECEPTACLE FOR SUSTAINING THE LATTER IN ELEVATED RELATION OVER A SUPPORTING SURFACE, A REMOVABLE COVER ON SAID RECEPTACLE SIMULATING THE SHOULDERS OF A DOLL, A COVER HANDLE SIMULATING A DOLL NECK AND UPSTANDING CENTRALLY FROM SAID COVER, A SHOVEL DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID COVER HANDLE, SAID SHOVEL BEING DECORATED TO REPRESENT A DOLL HEAD, A PAIR OF ARMS EACH HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID RECEPTACLE, AND DETACHABLE ARM-CONNECTION MEANS ON THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ARMS FOR CONNECTING THE LATTER TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A BAIL. 